Students in other parts of the world are turning to Canada to earn an academic qualification that is recognized and respected around the world. British Columbia has an excellent reputation for providing top quality experiences for international students in both education and living. British Columbia Public Schools offer outstanding opportunities for young people to study in top-rated education programs built on high standards of academic excellence and to participate in a wide variety of cultural and recreational activities.
Prepared for the Government of Canada, Roslyn Kunin & Associates, Inc.’s report entitled, Economic Impact of International Education in Canada: Final Report found that in 2008: 1. There were 178,227 long-term (staying for at least six months) international students in Canada
2. These international students generated more than $5.5 billion to the Canadian economy 3. British Columbia alone hosted nearly a third of the international students in Canada with 14,133 international students attending a Secondary (or less) school in BC in 2008 4. Nearly 40 percent of that revenue came from two countries: China and South Korea
Saanich School District #63: International Program
In 2009, approximately 70 international students came to the Saanich School District #63, on Vancouver Island, British Columbia to complete their high school graduation and obtain a BC Dogwood certificate. International students choose to complete their Secondary Education through a Saanich School District school for the following reasons: * Saanich schools offers consistent, high quality English language education to international students; * Saanich schools offer a variety of top-rated education programs including Distributive Learning; * international students can learn Canadian English (voted “the easiest to understand” ) in a friendly environment; * the British Columbian Dogwood certificate is valued the world over; and, * international students have the opportunity to participate in Vancouver Island life, one of the best places in the world to live.
The Problem
Although Saanich has a strong International program, it would like to increase its international student enrolment. Saanich is a relatively small district, and it often loses student enrolments to nearby School District #61. District #61’s program attracts hundreds of international students each year; it has a strong new student orientation program and a strong in-school ESL support program. After an exhaustive needs analysis the Saanich district International program has identified a two needs that current international programs aren’t serving. The first need is an economic need. Due to the grim world economy many families who have chosen an overseas education in the past, are choosing other options. If Saanich could offer the same BC graduation certificate, but over a smaller period of time, the cost of an international education would be greatly reduced. Parents may be more likely to continue the practice of sending their children overseas. As well, there is a need for a more structured support of a student’s arrival to Canada. Students have reported feelings of culture shock and homesickness upon first arriving in Canada. Language barriers and lack of knowledge about culture and climate are cited as the two most likely causes of these feelings.
Aim
Saanich School district has decided that it will increase its attractiveness to prospective international students by pairing with the district’s distributed learning school, South Island Distance Education School (SIDES), to develop and offer a pre-arrival package. This package will offer students the chance to gain up to six credits toward their high school graduation before their arrival in Canada. It will also help prospective students hone their English language skills and learn about the country that will become their new home. SIDES is a student-centred learning community that provides high-quality, flexible educational programs and has been a leader in the distributed education for over 20 years. Since 2003 SIDES has delivered some of its course curriculum online, using D2L as its online learning management system. SIDES has all of the necessary infrastructure in place (including a sound LMS, a hefty technical support staff and graphic design team, and a large complement of teachers skilled in online curriculum development and delivery) in order to make this project work. SIDES offers the most comprehensive range of Secondary DL courses, all which are available for International students upon their arrival in British Columbia. Many electives offered are unique to SIDES and are not offered at all neighbourhood schools
The SIDES Instructional design team has developed a four-course pre-arrival package. This online course package will be designed to support and enhance the students’ learning of the English language and Canadian culture. The course package will take approximately 40-50 hours in total to complete after which students will earn two credits towards graduation.
The pre-arrival course package will consist of: 1. A 'Welcome to Canada' pre-travel planning course 2. An English literacy course consisting of interactive lessons and the opportunity to practice spoken English language skills via v-class (an online virtual classroom). 3. A basic 'Orientation to SIDES' course to provide students with everything they need to know to enhance the students' efficiency in working in the SIDES online environment.
This paper will comprise the detailed instructional design plan for the first ten –hour course to be included in the pre-arrival package: Welcome to Canada
Learning Context Conclusion and ID Model Proposal
Due to the project’s K-12 scope a classroom-oriented model is suggested as the best model. ELABORATE Audience Definition (Learner Analysis)
General Characteristics
The primary audience is composed of both male and female students in their mid-teens. These students may come from anywhere in the world; however, the needs analysis has indicated that our largest audience would be primarily offshore Asian students. Often this will be their first overseas experience. There is a great degree of cultural difference between their culture and Canadian culture. Students from European or South American countries would make up the next group. These students have a high level of English language proficiency and would suffer less culture shock upon their arrival in Canada. Often students in this group are well-travelled and have been away from home before. In order to achieve the program's main aim, course content will need to be accessible by those with both high and low levels of English language proficiency, and knowledge about the country and culture.
Specific Characteristics
Two Distinct Audiences
Offshore Asian students with little knowledge of Canadian culture and English language
European and South American students with more English language proficiency and a greater degree of similarity between their culture and Canadian culture.
All students are between the ages of 14-18 years
Education Requirements
Basic English language proficiency
Basic computing skills which include: ability to operate a computer and use a learning management system, basic keyboarding skills, comfort with communication technologies
Contextual Analysis
Orienting Context
Prospective students would be primarily offshore Asian students who are interested in gaining a BC education because of its solid reputation when it comes to education.Their level of English will be high enough to read and understand the course content, but their spoken and written English may be weak. The second group of students who will comprise the program's audience are the students from European and South American countries. These students will have a higher understanding of the English language and have fewer obstacles to overcome as far as adjusting to a new culture goes. Because these students will be ESL, it will be important to limit the complexity of the language used in the courses offered in this program; given the demographic of our learners, there will be other instructional considerations. In order to ensure that weaker students have appropriate support for improving their English, the SIDES will offer optional, leveled ESL instruction (for full proof see Appendix A) which students can pursue for credits toward their Dogwood diploma. Students will be strongly urged to take these classes as a complement to their in-school study.
Instructional Context
All courses offered as part of the Pre-Arrival Program will be offered using an online learning management system (LMS). SIDES uses D2L a proprietary LMS software in which all of its online courses are constructed. Teachers and ID staff would have expert-level knowledge of how to use the software program. There is a support technician both at the school and support offered through D2L as well. In addition to matters of course offering, it is important that instructional design acknowledges the multicultural nature of the program. As McAnay (2009) notes “when instruction is designed without cultural considerations, the risk is that learning will be compromised” because each learner approaches the material with his/her own cultural lens firmly in place (p. 3). She also notes that “students may feel more connected when individuals of their cultural backgrounds are visible in the course materials (2009, p.7). It will be important for our learning materials offer any means of connection between the learner and the material/program, because distributed learning, by nature, can be isolating. When developing content, instructional designers must be cognizant of the various modes by which a learner may be marginalized. Kinuthia states that when designing culturally appropriate instructional content, “interface design, should take into account how different cultures will respond to the layout of the graphical interface, images, symbols, color, and sounds”. It is important to recognize that the addition of multicultural graphics to an existing course does not take into consideration the complexity of exchange of ideas through symbols that are themselves embedded within the framework of any learning material. SIDES instructional designers will need ensure that any content developed for an international student audience is relevant to and sensitive to its multicultural audience.
Transfer Context The courses should be completed scheduled for completion by the incoming school year's international student cohort as close to the students' arrival in Canada as possible. This would best support the transfer of learning. Ideally the program would begin at the end of June. Students would be allowed the summer to begin work on the program. During the course of the program, students would build community in the online environment through carefully crafted exercises and discussion forums. Since all of the students in the cohort will be coming to the same district, they will be able to further enhance their transfer of learning by continuing to learn and grown within this community once they are in the country. To achieve maximum transfer of learning, we suggest that in addition to the online program, International program organizers co-ordinate a 'New to School' orientation 1-2 days before the start of the Canadian school year. This orientation would allow students to familiarize themselves with their new learning environment (neighbourhood high school) and to meet the teachers and students who were part of the program's cohort.
International Market
Students in other parts of the world are turning to Canada to earn an academic qualification that is recognized and respected around the world. British Columbia has an excellent reputation for providing top quality experiences for international students in both education and living. British Columbia Public Schools offer outstanding opportunities for young people to study in top-rated education programs built on high standards of academic excellence and to participate in a wide variety of cultural and recreational activities.
Prepared for the Government of Canada, Roslyn Kunin & Associates, Inc.’s report entitled, Economic Impact of International Education in Canada: Final Report found that in 2008:
1. There were 178,227 long-term (staying for at least six months) international students in Canada
2. These international students generated more than $5.5 billion to the Canadian economy
3. British Columbia alone hosted nearly a third of the international students in Canada with 14,133 international students attending a Secondary (or less) school in BC in 2008
4. Nearly 40 percent of that revenue came from two countries: China and South Korea
Saanich School District #63: International Program
In 2009, approximately 70 international students came to the Saanich School District #63, on Vancouver Island, British Columbia to complete their high school graduation and obtain a BC Dogwood certificate.
International students choose to complete their Secondary Education through a Saanich School District school for the following reasons:
* Saanich schools offers consistent, high quality English language education to international students;
* Saanich schools offer a variety of top-rated education programs including Distributive Learning;
* international students can learn Canadian English (voted “the easiest to understand” ) in a friendly environment;
* the British Columbian Dogwood certificate is valued the world over; and,
* international students have the opportunity to participate in Vancouver Island life, one of the best places in the world to live.
The Problem
Although Saanich has a strong International program, it would like to increase its international student enrolment. Saanich is a relatively small district, and it often loses student enrolments to nearby School District #61. District #61’s program attracts hundreds of international students each year; it has a strong new student orientation program and a strong in-school ESL support program.
After an exhaustive needs analysis the Saanich district International program has identified a two needs that current international programs aren’t serving. The first need is an economic need. Due to the grim world economy many families who have chosen an overseas education in the past, are choosing other options. If Saanich could offer the same BC graduation certificate, but over a smaller period of time, the cost of an international education would be greatly reduced. Parents may be more likely to continue the practice of sending their children overseas. As well, there is a need for a more structured support of a student’s arrival to Canada. Students have reported feelings of culture shock and homesickness upon first arriving in Canada. Language barriers and lack of knowledge about culture and climate are cited as the two most likely causes of these feelings.
Aim
Saanich School district has decided that it will increase its attractiveness to prospective international students by pairing with the district’s distributed learning school, South Island Distance Education School (SIDES), to develop and offer a pre-arrival package. This package will offer students the chance to gain up to six credits toward their high school graduation before their arrival in Canada. It will also help prospective students hone their English language skills and learn about the country that will become their new home. SIDES is a student-centred learning community that provides high-quality, flexible educational programs and has been a leader in the distributed education for over 20 years. Since 2003 SIDES has delivered some of its course curriculum online, using D2L as its online learning management system. SIDES has all of the necessary infrastructure in place (including a sound LMS, a hefty technical support staff and graphic design team, and a large complement of teachers skilled in online curriculum development and delivery) in order to make this project work. SIDES offers the most comprehensive range of Secondary DL courses, all which are available for International students upon their arrival in British Columbia. Many electives offered are unique to SIDES and are not offered at all neighbourhood schools
The SIDES Instructional design team has developed a four-course pre-arrival package. This online course package will be designed to support and enhance the students’ learning of the English language and Canadian culture. The course package will take approximately 40-50 hours in total to complete after which students will earn two credits towards graduation.
The pre-arrival course package will consist of:
1. A 'Welcome to Canada' pre-travel planning course
2. An English literacy course consisting of interactive lessons and the opportunity to practice spoken English language skills via v-class (an online virtual classroom).
3. A basic 'Orientation to SIDES' course to provide students with everything they need to know to enhance the students' efficiency in working in the SIDES online environment.
This paper will comprise the detailed instructional design plan for the first ten –hour course to be included in the pre-arrival package: Welcome to Canada
Learning Context Conclusion and ID Model Proposal
Due to the project’s K-12 scope a classroom-oriented model is suggested as the best model.
ELABORATE
Audience Definition (Learner Analysis)
General Characteristics
The primary audience is composed of both male and female students in their mid-teens. These students may come from anywhere in the world; however, the needs analysis has indicated that our largest audience would be primarily offshore Asian students. Often this will be their first overseas experience. There is a great degree of cultural difference between their culture and Canadian culture. Students from European or South American countries would make up the next group. These students have a high level of English language proficiency and would suffer less culture shock upon their arrival in Canada. Often students in this group are well-travelled and have been away from home before. In order to achieve the program's main aim, course content will need to be accessible by those with both high and low levels of English language proficiency, and knowledge about the country and culture.
Specific Characteristics
Two Distinct Audiences
- Offshore Asian students with little knowledge of Canadian culture and English language
- European and South American students with more English language proficiency and a greater degree of similarity between their culture and Canadian culture.
All students are between the ages of 14-18 yearsEducation Requirements
Contextual Analysis
Orienting Context
Prospective students would be primarily offshore Asian students who are interested in gaining a BC education because of its solid reputation when it comes to education.Their level of English will be high enough to read and understand the course content, but their spoken and written English may be weak. The second group of students who will comprise the program's audience are the students from European and South American countries. These students will have a higher understanding of the English language and have fewer obstacles to overcome as far as adjusting to a new culture goes. Because these students will be ESL, it will be important to limit the complexity of the language used in the courses offered in this program; given the demographic of our learners, there will be other instructional considerations. In order to ensure that weaker students have appropriate support for improving their English, the SIDES will offer optional, leveled ESL instruction (for full proof see Appendix A) which students can pursue for credits toward their Dogwood diploma. Students will be strongly urged to take these classes as a complement to their in-school study.
Instructional Context
All courses offered as part of the Pre-Arrival Program will be offered using an online learning management system (LMS). SIDES uses D2L a proprietary LMS software in which all of its online courses are constructed. Teachers and ID staff would have expert-level knowledge of how to use the software program. There is a support technician both at the school and support offered through D2L as well.
In addition to matters of course offering, it is important that instructional design acknowledges the multicultural nature of the program. As McAnay (2009) notes “when instruction is designed without cultural considerations, the risk is that learning will be compromised” because each learner approaches the material with his/her own cultural lens firmly in place (p. 3). She also notes that “students may feel more connected when individuals of their cultural backgrounds are visible in the course materials (2009, p.7). It will be important for our learning materials offer any means of connection between the learner and the material/program, because distributed learning, by nature, can be isolating. When developing content, instructional designers must be cognizant of the various modes by which a learner may be marginalized. Kinuthia states that when designing culturally appropriate instructional content, “interface design, should take into account how different cultures will respond to the layout of the graphical interface, images, symbols, color, and sounds”. It is important to recognize that the addition of multicultural graphics to an existing course does not take into consideration the complexity of exchange of ideas through symbols that are themselves embedded within the framework of any learning material. SIDES instructional designers will need ensure that any content developed for an international student audience is relevant to and sensitive to its multicultural audience.
Transfer Context
The courses should be completed scheduled for completion by the incoming school year's international student cohort as close to the students' arrival in Canada as possible. This would best support the transfer of learning. Ideally the program would begin at the end of June. Students would be allowed the summer to begin work on the program. During the course of the program, students would build community in the online environment through carefully crafted exercises and discussion forums. Since all of the students in the cohort will be coming to the same district, they will be able to further enhance their transfer of learning by continuing to learn and grown within this community once they are in the country. To achieve maximum transfer of learning, we suggest that in addition to the online program, International program organizers co-ordinate a 'New to School' orientation 1-2 days before the start of the Canadian school year. This orientation would allow students to familiarize themselves with their new learning environment (neighbourhood high school) and to meet the teachers and students who were part of the program's cohort.